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| Babies & Toddler Information |
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Baby Safety & the Family Dog
I recall how wonderful the baby swing in particular, was for moments of peace and quiet as well as much needed arm rest. A recent article (http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/parenting/02/23/baby.swings.dogs.ap/index.html) addresses valid concerns about dogs and mechanical swings. It is important to keep in mind that all dogs react differently and supervision is a must all the time! I have seen first hand a variety of reactions to baby equipment by different dogs. Some dogs become desperate to chase and catch the moving swing while others seem to find it soothing. A human moving in the air is not normal to dogs and can be quite confusing even though the swing is grounded. It is important to know your dog's reaction to different situations and stimuli. Here are some things to take into consideration: 1. Does your dog love to chase ANYTHING and everything? 2. Is your dog reactive to sudden motion? 3. Does he startle easily? 4. Is your dog sensitive to noise? If so, loud, soft or sudden? High or low pitch? Adults in charge of supervising a baby must never allow the dog to remain in the room alone with a baby for even a second! This is a consistent key factor in most reports of attacks with newborns and dogs. This point must not be taken lightly. If the adult is not there for the dog to defer to and the baby makes noises the dog may be the first to respond and possibly tend to the baby. This is very dangerous as dogs communicate and relate very differently then we do as humans. What can caretakers and parents do to prevent such incidents? It is best to introduce baby swings and all baby equipment to the family dog prior to the arrival of the baby. Baby swings have all sorts of gadgets these days! They vibrate, make music and even rotate. It is important to know your dog's individual sensitivities and prepare him well ahead of time. Some points to consider with baby swings: 1. Once in motion some dogs find the natural desire to chase hard to control around baby swings. 2. The noise of a vibration device in the swing can have an irritating humming noise for some dogs. 3. Spinning objects that are meant to be visually stimulating to an infant may be enticing to a dog to catch. 4. Noises of the music may be irritating to some dogs' sensitive ears. It is important that family dogs learn how to behave calmly around all baby equipment prior to its use with an infant. Practice before your baby is home with a doll in the swing. Some dolls make noises and blink eyes etc. It sounds silly but it does help you role play and visualize the real situation. This allows a time for your dog to safely explore as you teach him how you want him to behave. Reward positive and appropriate behavior. Make this a positive experience. Ignore unwanted behavior and teach desired behavior. You do not want the first time your dog sees this new equipment to be when you REALLY are hoping the baby will go to sleep! Many dogs learn that the swing is just part of the new furniture and ignore it. This is ideal but still does not mean that it is safe to leave the room when a real infant is resting in the swing. Refreshing and practicing obedience now goes a long way towards a smoother transition once baby arrives. Have a plan for the situations such as the phone ringing. Here are some ideas. 1. Close the door to where the baby is. 2. Take dog with you. 3. Put a leash on your dog in the house to keep him near by or to use as a tether to furniture to safely secure him. 4. Use a baby gate that you must physically lock in place to gate off area when the baby is. (Not for those that like the high jump!) 5. Offer your dog some great outdoor activity in a secured area. As always it is NEVER safe to leave a baby and dog unsupervised for any reason at any time. Most of all ENJOY YOUR BABY! Jennifer Shryock B.A. MPH, CDBC Certified Dog Behavior Consultant 919.961.1608 Creator of Dogs & Storks programs U.S. Rep for http://www.doggonesafe.com For more information visit http://www.familypaws.com and
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Being aware of safe food handling practices and potential feeding dangers are the best ways to protect your family from food illnesses and accidents, while also giving your child a healthy start on development and growth. Here are a few important tips and reminders. How Much Water For Baby? While drinking more water is a good idea for everyone, especially during hot summer months, too much water can be harmful to infants 6 months old and younger. According to a study in Clinicians Reviews a 1997 survey of new mothers found that nearly 25 percent give their babies water at least 3 times per week in the first month of life. Sharing Baby Photos Online with Birth Announcements & Baby Photo Album Services Congratulations! You're a new parent and you've brought your precious, beautiful baby into the world. You want to shout from the rooftops that you have this wonderful bundle of joy and you are so proud! You have seen or heard about online birth announcements before, and realize that they are a quick, easy, and no hassle way of spreading the news of the birth of your precious baby. Below we'll outline ways you can share your baby photos online or create your own online birth announcements. Babies: How to Get Your Children Excited About the New Arrival The sudden appearance of a new baby can be rough on the other children in the family. Daily routines are disrupted and suddenly mom and dad are too busy to pay attention to older siblings. Worst of all, the new baby is the instant star of the family - the center of attention. The adorable baby is the big attraction for everyone from mom and dad, to visiting relatives, to casual acquaintances bumped into at the mall, right down to strangers on the street. Everyone is talking baby talk, cooing at the new baby, and making a fuss over the newborn. The older kids may feel shunted aside and resentful. This is especially true for the displaced former baby of the family. Baby Acne One of the most common conditions a new mother may see on her infant, is baby acne. But while it is startling in so young a child, it's really not a serious issue, nor should you be overly concerned about the causes or cures. The Average Growth In Babies Growth charts are tools your pediatrician can use to keep track of your child's physical growth. During each checkup, the doctor will measure your baby's length, weight, and head circumference. The doctor can then compare the measurements for your baby to a chart of national averages for infants of the same age and sex. Baby Gift Registry A furniture gift registry helps us streamline to the best choice. Through an online gift registry, parents can find out exactly what is required for their baby. The guests could also use the help of the gift registry to make the choice of that perfect gift. It takes 15 minutes to create a furniture baby gift registry and the amount and variety of baby furniture you could possible see has to been seen to be believed. While going through an online gift registry, you could see furniture which would serve the needs of the baby. For example, High chairs are something which would help the baby eat comfortably. Liven Up Your Baby Shower With A Few Games You have a baby shower planned for a friend; you have organised the invitations, and sent them out to everyone on the list. You have even planned the food that is going to be available at the shower. Then you think, but what do we actually do? Just talk and hand over the gifts; or shall we play a few shower games? Human Milk Bank Donor Helps Premature and Sick Infants and Children Lisa Fozo (37), a Fair Oaks resident, wanted to breastfeed so much that when her two sons did not latch on, she pumped her own milk and bottle fed it to them. With her first child, Alex, (5) she had an excess of milk and had to discard it. But when she had her second child, Kyle, (15 months) Mercy Hospital of Folsom referred her to Karen Evon, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Evon is also part owner of Maternal Expressions in Folsom, a maternity and breastfeeding specialty store. Evon advised Lisa to donate her surplus milk to the Mother's Milk Bank in San Jose, California. Planning a Baby Shower? These Tips Make It Stress Free One of the most pleasant parties to plan has to be the baby shower. The mom-to-be gets so much attention and she can just sit back and enjoy all of the fuss. The key to creating this wonderful event is organization. Here's everything you need to make your upcoming baby shower as festive and memorable as possible! Quality Baby Strollers Should Last for Years The baby carriage or buggy has come along way. Thanks to companies such as Cosco, Graco, Peg Perego, Evenflo, Century and Maclaren strollers have become an indispensable baby and toddler transport product. Your Baby And Social Skills Your baby's first year is filled with many challenges and new experiences for everyone in your family. One of the many things that your baby is going to be learning in his first year is the ability to socialize and get along with others. The first place that your baby is going to learn to socialize with others is within your own family. You should also be exposing your baby to playmates and other people outside your immediate family. This is so that he can learn communication and interaction skills at as young an age as possible.
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